By TEAGAN SO
Staff Writer

The Choir program held their annual spring concert on Wednesday, March 28. This year, the concert theme was nature. Opening with a piece by the Canta Bella choir and female Madrigal singers, the concert featured songs that were performed in a variety of languages, ranging from Arabic and German to French and Latin.

One particularly noteworthy song was “Sih’r Khalaq,” which was sung by the Canta Bella, the advanced women’s choir. Translated into English, the piece is titled “Creative Magic,” and used handclaps to create interesting rhythms. Though the lyrics were in Arabic, Mr. Olvey, the choir director, explained that the song delivered a message about art’s ability to transform a person. Many choir students agree with the message of this song.

“…[Choir] is not only my expressive voice but the vehicle for my emotional release.” secretary of UHS Choir Council Julia Yoon said.

A few students were highlighted in solo or duo performances. One duo, Sydney Spencer and Grace Colunga, performed “Duo des Fleurs” from the French opera Lakme,  a piece which was noted by Mr. Olvey himself to be particularly challenging. Yet, despite the difficulty of the song, the freshman-sophomore duo shined on stage, complimenting and harmonizing with each other beautifully.

“I think choir is a dichotomy that demands complete teamwork to coordinate individual expression. No matter how good of a voice, it’s crucial to not sing louder than others in order to avoid drowning out the unified harmony….” Yoon said. “Each voice, member, and individual effort aims for the ideal of collaboration.”

The choir program will be performing again for their Pops Concert on May 29.